Gravity overflow tube for automatic clothes washer

ABSTRACT

A tube for routing excess liquid in an automatic clothes washer to a suitable drain. A clothes washer having an outer tub positioned around an inner tub has a drain connected to an electric pump. A hose is connected to the outlet end of the pump providing for liquid drainage. A gravity overflow tube has a top end mounted to the top portion of the outer tub at a level above the hose. Excess water in the outer tub flows through the overflow tube by the force of gravity.

United States Patent Smith [451 July 11, 1972 54] GRAVITY OVERFIDW TUBEFOR FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHER 363,3189/l962 Switzerland ..68/208 [72] Inventor: John H. Smith, Rural Route 2,Washing- 260,848 3/ I968 Austria ..68/208 ton, lnd. 47501 PrimaryExaminer-Wllliam l. Price [221 FIMI Anomeywoodard, Weikart, Emhardt &Naughton 21 A N s3, 1 PP 0 864 51 ABS'I'RACT 52] 0.8. CL ..68/208 Amud"! quid aummaic [58) fieldoiSeu-eh ..68/208, I84; 134/184 [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,723,550 ll/l955 Belaieff..68/l84 Schwing ..68/208 x washer to a suitable drain. A clothes washerhaving an outer tub positioned around an inner tub has a drain connectedto an electric pump. A hose is connected to the outlet end of the pumpproviding for liquid drainage. A gravity overflow tube has a top endmounted to the top portion of the outer tub at a level above the hose.Excess water in the outer tub flows through file overflow tube by theforce of gravity.

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INVENTOR John H 501/197 9 Manual, 4am,

flffarneys GRAVITY OVERFIJOW TUBE FOR AUTOMATIC CLOTHES WASHERBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention isin the field of automatic clothes washers having overflow devicesattached thereto.

2. Description of the Prior Art Many automatic clothes washers have anouter tub positioned around an inner tub. The inner tub is utilized tohold the clothes washer and soap with an agitator centrally positionedtherein for providing the washing action. Upon completion of the washingcycle or rinse cycle, the liquid within the inner tub is emptied intothe outer tub at a very fast rate and high volume. An electric pump isthen used to empty the liquid within the outer tub through a drainpositioned in the bottom of the outer tub. Occasionally, the electricpump is unable to empty the liquid within the outer tub at a sufficientrate to prevent the outer tub from overflowing. Of course, the excessliquid within the outer tub then spills out of the tub onto the floor.The spillage of liquid on the floor may also result from a number ofother factors. For example, many automatic washers have controlsolenoids and timers for controlling the inflow of water. Thesolenoid/timer may fail resulting in accumulation of excess liquidwithin the washer. Several devices have been provided to empty theexcess liquid within a washer. US. Pat. No. 3,l06,08l issued to Mitchelldiscloses a hollow agitator for transferring excess liquid within theinner tub to a drain. US. Pat. No. 3,397,? 16 issued to Andersondiscloses an overflow device which activates the discharge pump beforethe liquid reaches the overflow level.

The present invention solves the above described problem by providing aninexpensive overflow tube which is attached to the top portion of theouter tub to receive the excess liquid within the outer tub. The excessliquid flows through the tube by the force of gravity. The tube may beinstalled on new or used clothes washers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is a gravity overflow tube forreceiving excess liquid in the outer tub of an automatic clothes washer.An inner tub is positioned within the outer tub. Upon completion of thecycle, liquid within the inner tub is transferred to the outer tub anddrained through a drain in the outer tub. An electric pump connected tothe drain of the outer tub forces the liquid through an outlet hose. Theoverflow tube is sealingly mounted to the top of the outer tub at alevel higher than the outlet end of the hose. A check flap valve may beinstalled in the overflow tube to allow gravity liquid flow in the tubeonly from the top of the outer tub to the bottom end of the tube. Acoupling is provided to connect the overflow tube to the outlet hose.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an overflow tubewhich empties excess water in the outer tub of an automatic clotheswasher by the force of gravity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gravityoverflow tube which will prevent spillage of excess water in anautomatic clothes washer.

In conjunction with the above objects, it is an object of the presentinvention to provide an inexpensive gravity overflow tube which may bequickly and easily installed on new or used automatic clothes washers.

Related objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The FIGURE is a fragmentary perspectiveview of an automatic clothes washer incorporating the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT For the purposes of promoting anunderstanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now bemade to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing and specific languagewill be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understoodthat no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended,such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device,and such further applications of the principles of the invention asillustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to oneskilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring to the FIGURE, there is shown a fragmentary perspective viewof an automatic clothes washer 10 having a front wall 9 with controls(not shown) located thereon. The top wall 12 of washer 10 has a door 11hingedly mounted thereon for closing hole 13 which receives the clothesplaced within the washer. Washer 10 has adjustable feet 14 located onits bottom corners for leveling and supporting the washer. An inner tub16 is suspendedly mounted within an outer tub 15 also suspendedlymounted within washer 10. The washing action is accomplished in innertub 16 and the liquid therein is then emptied into outer tub 15 uponcompletion of the cycle. An electric pump 17 is mounted at the bottom ofwasher l0 and is connected to drain hole 22 of outer tub 15. Connectedto the outlet of pump 17 is outlet hose 19 which has an upper curved end25 received by hollow drain pipe 18. Pump 17 is operable to empty theliquid and suds within tub 15 through drain 22 and hose 19 emptying intopipe 18.

A gravity overflow tube 20 has a top end sealingly mounted to andthrough the top portion of outer tub 15 by a conventional clamp 24.Clamp 24 is sealingly mounted to tub l6 and sealingly receives overflowtube 20. The top end 26 of tube 20 is positioned at a level higher thantop end 25 of hose 19. Thus, when the liquid within tubs 15 and 16 risessufficiently. the liquid will enter top end 26 and flow through tube 20by the force of gravity. The bottom end of tube 20 may be connected to asuitable drain such as drain pipe 18. It is also possible as shown inFIG. 1 to connect the bottom end of overflow tube 20 to hose 19 bycoupling 21. For example, a conventional hollow T-shaped coupling 21 maybe connected to hose l9 and to tube 20. Thus, the excess liquid willflow through tube 20 entering coupling 21 and hose 19. Tube 20 may beproduced from a suitable material such as plastic or rubber. Aconventional check flap valve 23 may be mounted within tube 20 toprevent liquid flow from coupling 21 to top end 26. This valve wouldallow liquid flow in tube 20 only from top end 26 to coupling 21. Thus,liquid force applied by pump 17 would force all of the liquid outthrough hose 19. It is understood that valve 23 is not necessary for theoperation of the present invention and is provided only as an addedfeature.

Overflow tube 20 provides a very dependable device since the liquidflows through the tube only by the force of gravity. It will be obviousfrom the above description that the present invention provides anoverflow tube which empties excess water in the outer tub of anautomatic clothes washer by the force of gravity. It will be furtherobvious from the above description that the present invention provides agravity overflow tube which would prevent spillage of excess water in anautomatic clothes washer. In addition, it will be obvious that the tubeis inexpensive and easy to install on new or used automatic clotheswashers.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in thedrawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood thatonly the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that allchanges and modifica tions that come within the spirit of the inventionare desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. The combination of:

a top loading automatic clothes washer having an outer tub and an innertub, said outer tub having an opened top end and a bottom end and beingpositioned under and around said inner tub to receive liquid therefrom;

an electric pump connected to said bottom end of said outer tub andoperable to force said liquid from said outer tub;

a hose connected to said pump and having an outlet end;

and

a gravity overflow tube having a first end connected to said hose and asecond end mounted to and sealingly through said outer tub immediatelyadjacent said top end of said outer tub at a level higher than the levelof said outlet end of said hose, said liquid flows through said overflowtube only by the force of gravity 2. The combination of claim 1 andfurther comprising:

a coupling connected to said tube and to said hose;

a check flap valve mounted in said tube allowing liquid flow in saidtube only from said second end of said tube to said coupling and saidhose; and,

a clamp sealingly embracing said second end of said tube being fixedlyand sealingly mounted to said top end of said outer tub.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein:

said second end of said gravity overflow tube is at a level higher thansaid inner tub which has an opened top end for said water to overflowinto said outer tub and into said gravity overflow tube.

i i 1 t

1. The combination of: a top loading automatic clothes washer having anouter tub and an inner tub, said outer tub having an opened top end anda bottom end and being positioned under and around said inner tub toreceive liquid therefrom; an electric pump connected to said bottom endof said outer tub and operable to force said liquid from said outer tub;a hose connected to said pump and having an outlet end; and a gravityoverflow tube having a first end connected to said hose and a second endmounted to and sealingly through said outer tub immediately adjacentsaid top end of said outer tub at a level higher than the level of saidoutlet end of said hose, said liquid flows through said overflow tubeonly by the force of gravity.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and furthercomprising: a coupling connected to said tube and to said hose; a checkflap valve mounted in said tube allowing liquid flow in said tube onlyfrom said second end of said tube to said coupling and said hose; and, aclamp sealingly embracing said second end of said tube being fixedly andsealingly mounted to said top end of said outer tub.
 3. The combinationof claim 2 wherein: said second end of said gravity overflow tube is ata level higher than said inner tub which has an opened top end for saidwater to overflow into said outer tub and into said gravity overflowtube.